Infant furniture



.April 7, 1942. c. G. CARLSON f 2,278,414

INFANT l FURNITURE Filed Nov. '20, 1959 CLARE/vcr 6*. cAnLso/v INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 7, 1942 l UNITEDv STATES PATENT OFFICE Clarence G. Carlson, Oakland, Calif. Y

Application November 20, 1939, Serial No. 305,321

3 Claims.

This invention relates to high chairs and more particularly to the method of, and apparatus for, the securement and the removal of a tray with respect to such chair.

Various devices have been employed for removably securing a tray and guard on the arms of high chairs upon which a childs food or toys may be placed and by which he is prevented from leaving the chair.v l

The instant invention concerns itself with simple and positive means of economical construction for effecting this general end. -It is also an object of this invention to provide a mechanism whereby the tray is easily secured and removed on and from the high chair.

It is another object of this invention to provide means of securement which permits a pleasing design to inhere in the chair when the tray is removed.

It is another object of this invention to provide for securement of the tray in an unlimited number of positions on the arms of the chair.

It is another object of this invention to provide for securement of the tray on the chair in such manner as to avoid the possibility of rattling the tray by the child.

It is another object of this invention to provide a chair and tray ensemble such that both are free of detritus-gathering interstices.

It is another object of this invention to provide a chair and tray ensemble for movement as a unit in two different relationships.

It is a further object of this invention to provide two independent means of locking the tray to the high chair. v

A further object of the invention is to render it impossible for a child to release the tray when properly fastened.

Other objects will appear from a consideration of the following specification in which reference is had to the drawings attached hereto, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary front view, partially in section, of a chair ensemble;

Figure 2 is a bottom view as in the direction 2--2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section of a modi-- fcation; and

Figure 4 is a section at line IV- IV of Figure 3.

A chair comprising a seat I, legs 2, and rungs 3, with plywood sides 4 and back 5, is provided with the wooden arm rests 6 having undersurface portions which overhang, or project outward, with respect to the sidewalls 4.

A wooden tray I is provided with depending hard-wood posts 8 at a distance apart to clear the arm rests slightly, to the lower end of each of which posts thereis pivoted, in spaced relation thereto, as by means of a deep-seated wood screw 9 having'abearing shank 9', an arm I0 having a circular surface a portion of which forms a gripping-surface II and a convergent tail-piece II' so proportioned and pivoted that the other circular portions clear the arm rests 6 when their median plane of symmetryv is norlmal to the arm rests, and that the available lever arm for securing the tray is long, whilst the available lever arm to release the tray is relatively short after movement of the arm to secured position.

As illustrated in the drawing, the pivot point of arm Ill is close to the surface II, that is, nearer to the surface I I than the center of curvature of surface II. Therefore, when arm I0 rotates, that part of the surface I I which is nearest to the pivot point (shank 9') always lies in extension of the round post Il.kr Accordingly, when the tail-piece II is disposed outward so that the line through it and the pivot point is substantially at right angles to wall 4, the said nearest vpart of surface II is disposed to clear the arm rest 6.

Since the shoulders I2 and I 28 are farther from the center of rotation of arm I0 than the vsaid nearest part of II, the circular surface II ract to grip the walls therebetween causing an inward deflection of the walls which may be utilised for lockingthe tray to the arms as later described.

The head of the screw 9 forms a thrust bearing for the arm Ill. The clearance between the post 8 and the arm I0 permits adjustment of the screw 9 to take up slack produced by wear of buttons I3, hereinafter described.

These attributes are somewhat obvious from a consideration of the drawing, it being observable that tailpiece I I lies against the side 4 when in secured position so that it is impossible for the child to get his fingers between the same, and to exert a force on the end of this tailpiece to release the tray. An adult possesses the necessary strength to engage the arm at the shoulder I2 to thereby effect opening by a shorter lever arm. It will be'noted that the arms I0 may be rotated in either direction to secure the tray, rearward being preferable.

In the secured position, there is a slight clearance between the bottom of the tray and the arm rests which is maintained by groups of resilient buttons I3, as of rubber, which are so proportioned and arranged as to be compressed when the arms I are rotated to secured positions. It will be observed that the groups of buttons I3 are further arranged to receive the arm rests saddle-fashion, and so that the line of pressure of the arm I0 passes therebetween. Accordingly, each side of thev tray is independently fastened, a feature of additional safety.

The buttons I3 are also distributed forwardly and rearwardly of the posts 8 to insure equality of pressure and true level of tray surface.

When the tray is not in use the arm and post units may be hooked over the rungs of the chair, as shown in dotted lines, so that the chair and tray may be moved about as a unit without securement of the tray to the arm rests.

Reference to Figure 2 discloses that, if desired, the arcuate extent of surface II may be made such that the shoulder I2', in its movement to the illustrated position, deflects wall 4 inwardly, and releases the wall slightly in the position shown so that the wall presses on the shouldei` I2 and tail piece II. In this way a self locking effect may be attained, the side walls 4 pressing outwardly to hold the arms IIJ in secured position.

Means are provided to permittray 'I to be loaded while resting in level position on a flat surface, which consists in a leg I4, of a length equal to the distance of the lower side of arm I0 from the bottom of the tray 1, secured to the tray 'I near the forward edge of the tray.A Leg I4 and the fastening devices 8 and I0 form a three legged table which can rest on any desired level plane to receive dishes or the like prior to lifting the same for carrying to the chair.

In the modifications of Figures 3 and 4, instead of using buttons of rubber, as employed in the rst described modication, the bearing l member is formed of a generally V-sectioned strip of rubber I3 dovetailed into a dovetail recess I5 in tray 1. With this modification arm I0 may bear directly on the lower end of post 8, and, in order to compensate for the flattening of the strip I3' with repeated use, portions of the strip so iiattened may be cut-off and the strip moved in groove I5 to line up a new edge to take the thrust of arm 6.

I claim:

1. In combination, a high chair having side members providing undersurfaces, a tray, and means on said tray for engaging said undersurfaces comprising an arm having a tailpiece,

the arrangement being such that said arm provides a long leverage for its movement to its securing position, and only a shorter leverage for movement to release the tray.

2. In combination, a high chair having a seat, a back, and arm rests, means integral with and forming a continuation of said back extending to form supports for said arm rests and rigidly secured to said seat and to said arms, said means and said back being such that the supports for said arms are resiliently deflectable inwardly upon exertion of a compressive force on the opposed supports, and said arm rests being larger than said supports and extending laterally with respect thereto, a tray, `and means on said tray cooperative with said supports to utilize the -resiliency thereof to securely fasten the tray to the chair, against the arm rests.

3. In combination, a high chair having a seat, a back, and arm rests, means resiliently supporting said arm rests for deiiection upon exertion of a force `on the opposed supports, a tray, means comprising a pair of posts projecting downwardly from said tray beside the arm rests, a pair of rotatable members, and means associ ated with said members forming latches, said rotatable members being rotatable on said posts and adapted to engage and deflect said supporting means, and to latch said tray to said arm rests.

CLARENCE G. CARLSON. 

